On Erling Haaland’s Birthday, We’re Celebrating One of Football’s Best Designer Bag Collections

Happy Birthday, Erling Haaland!

I am not alone in my liking of the Norwegian football star. Watching a major world event, like the World Cup, always leaves us with standout moments. And this time, there were a few players who ultimately captured the hearts of people around the world, and Haaland is one of them.

And while Erling Haaland is celebrating his 26th birthday today, I am here to celebrate something a little different: his bags.

Before he burst onto the international spotlight (but do not be mistaken, for football fans, he was already a major star), Haaland had built one of the most interesting designer bag collections in sports. Every new arrival, airport sighting, or vacation photo has become an opportunity to see what he’ll carry next. And with Haaland, you never quite know what you are going to get. His style varies from dapper to sporty to pairing a not-yet-released bag with the taxidermy raccoon he took home as a relic from his time in the US.

And this is exactly what makes Haaland so much fun to follow, on top of his hilarious engagement and interaction with fans. Simply put, Haaland seems like a truly nice guy. A guy who loves fashion and bags, loves interacting with his fans, and whose combination of interests is the best one for success.

Every Time Erling Haaland Carried a Designer Bag Worth Talking About

As I just shared on Substack, men carrying bags has really taken hold in the past few years, aided in large part by male superstar athletes carrying them to games.

Players, fans, and brands have all taken note, and the arrival outfits, along with the fashion off the field, have been closely watched. Haaland is one of the players who embraced that early and has fun with his bag choices. His collection doesn’t stick to one brand, though you can see he shares a love for Louis Vuitton Keepalls as well as Hermès. But just when you think you know what he is going to carry, he changes it up.

After Norway was out of the World Cup, Haaland was seen returning to Norway with two not-yet-released Dolce & Gabbana totes and a taxidermy raccoon, named “Whiskey Raccoon,” in which the raccoon is carrying an empty bottle of G&J Greenall’s Wild Berry Gin. He picked this up while in Texas for the World Cup, and the absolute novelty of it had everyone talking.

Hermès Continues to Be a Standout

You can’t talk about Haaland’s bags without talking about his love for Hermès. And it’s not the ‘regular’ Hermès bags, it’s the rare ones. The coveted Haut à Courroies styles in multiple variations of rare to rarer. It’s the way he deliberately shows off his bags, making them conversation starters rather than background details.

And for his birthday, I was hoping he’d get a new bag to share with us, but alas, straight from Haaland’s mouth, I was told he did not.

What’s Next for the Star?

I am sure countless endorsements will be upped and signed; his career will continue to flourish as he is young. But actually, I meant what is next for his bag collection! I may be 42, but sometimes I am hip to the trends (yes, I made myself sound old there on purpose), and today I took a stab at asking Haaland what bag he got for his birthday.

And wouldn’t you know it, the delightful star took his time to answer, and said his girlfriend didn’t buy him one. I don’t think any of us need to feel bad, he can buy his own bags, but I love that he even wanted to have his own birthday bag unboxing! Erling Haaland, he is just like us!